This invention is directed to a toy race game of the type wherein a surface includes two depressed channels with each of the channels incorporating an endless belt therein which are driven in a continuous path in the channel. Attaching to each of the endless belts is an upstanding driving member which projects upwardly beyond the surface. The driving members are capable of engaging portions of small wheeled vehicles to drive or pull these members across the surface. The channels are so shaped such that the vehicles will converge for one portion of the surface and diverge away from each other over the remaining portion. In that portion wherein the vehicles can converge one of the vehicles is capable of dislocating the other vehicle from its driving member thus severing the driving connection to this vehicle and stopping the progress of this vehicle.
A large number of children's games exists which are based on movement of a vehicle over a track, surface or the like. These were first expressed in the form of miniature railroads wherein a train having an electric motor was powered over a track. Electric current to drive the motor was supplied to the train through the individual rails of the track. This type of propelled vehicle was later expanded to include so called "slot car racers." In this type of game the wheels of the vehicle were freed from tracks, however, the vehicles still depended upon engagement with a slot to receive appropriate electrical current to power the vehicle. Beginning about 40 years ago it became evident that a second type of power system could be used to drive a vehicle around a pathway. This was based on utilization of a moving endless element depressed beneath the surface of a track.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,224,799 which issued in 1940 describes an early rendition of the movable vehicle described in the preceding sentence. In this patent an endless chain, composed of a plurality of individually linked sections, moved about a pathway depressed beneath the surface. The chain was driven by an appropriate cog wheel which engaged the chain. A vehicle resting on the surface incorporated a plurality of downwardly projecting bosses which engage the chain and when so engaged the chain would propel the vehicle around the surface minicking the pathway of the chain in a depressed channel. The game described in this patent utilized but a single endless element and a single channel thus one or more vehicles moving over this channel were always fixed with respect to one another and a race type situation was not developed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,262 the endless chain was replaced by a belt which was driven around a complex cloverleaf like pattern. Simulation of a traffic intersection was achieved by utilizing a switching means which allowed a vehicle having a downwardly projecting engagement member which engaged the belt to either follow the belt as it curved at the intersection or to be disengaged from the belt and travel over the intersection and then reengage the belt. As in previously described patent the game described in this patent did not allow for simulation of a racing situation since only a single endless belt was used.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,332 a racing situation or at least a competitive situation was achieved by incorporating two depressed channels each having an endless drive element composed of a plurality of spheres interconnected by a plurality of rods. Essentially this drive element was an endless elongated rendition of an old fashioned key or bathroom stopper chain. The vehicles used on this game also incorporated downwardly projecting bosses which were fixed to the vehicle and went into a channel and engaged the chain. In this patent motors were used to drive the endless chain and appropriate speed governing mechanisms could be utilized to control the speed. The two tracks utilized in this patent are placed one inside the other such that the outside track would require a longer endless chain than the inside track and as a consequence the vehicle engaged with the outside track would require a longer period of time to circumvent the oval of the track if in fact the chains were going at the same speed. It can be seen that this type of game has an inherent disadvantage in that the person controlling the vehicle on the inside track could complete more complete revolutions of the oval of the track given any particular maximum speed of his endless chain with respect to the maximum speed of the other endless chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,296 describes a similar type game, however, instead of a direct engagement of the movable vehicles with the endless element a magnetic coupling was utilized. In order to compensate for the smaller pathway of the inside track with respect to the outside track the magnetic coupling member attached to the endless element was pivotly attached to the endless element and at certain portions along its pathway it was frictionally engaged against a surface as it moved thus spinning it about its pivot. This changed the relationship of the coupling magnets with respect to one another which in turn changed the relationship of the vehicles magnetically attached to these magnets. This game incorporated a degree of suspense and variety more adequately simulating a race situation, however, skill of the operator of the game was ignored and the movement of the race vehicles with respect to one another was totally left to chance depending upon rotation of the driving magnets when the frictional surfaces were engaged.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,520 an additional racing type game is described. In place of vehicles the objects moved represent roller skaters participating in a roller derby game. Three endless elements are utilized in this game spaced with respect to one another such that the outer two elements were driven in conjunction with each other and the middle element was driven independently. In this way a challenge situation could be created between the operator of the middle element and the operator of the outer and innermost element. The tracks, or channels, in which the moving endless elements were embedded therein were given a plurality of bends so at some points they approached each other and at some points they diverged from each other. The playing pieces used on this game as with most of the previously described vehicles incorporated downwardly projecting bosses from the playing pieces. These engaged the endless element and thus the playing pieces were propelled around the track by the endless element. Players of the game attempted to negotiate their pieces such that the pieces of one of the players attempted to dislodge the pieces of the other of one of the players from engagement with the endless element. Electric motors are used to drive the endless elements and two rheostats are provided to drive the two electric motors giving some control of the speed of the elements.
In view of the popularity and the variety of games incorporating endless elements it is evident that these types of games each incorporates certain features which contribute to the play value of the game such that the attention of the child using them is maintained and in certain of these games the game could be used by more than one child thus creating a competitive type spirit with regard to the game. With the exception of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,520 noted above, all of the games shown in the other patents could be used by a child by himself. However, none of these games really simulated a racing type situation wherein a chile was challenged to manipulate the pieces by appropriate controls. In the game described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,520 a competitive or race type situation was developed, however, in order to adequately simulate a race type situation two players were needed. If one player was left to control both of the rheostats he, of course, would appropriately set one to the benefit of the other and thus the racing type game would be lost. It is only when that game was played by two players could a real racing type situation be developed.
In view of the above it is evident that there exists a need for a new game of the type which incorporates one or more endless elements embedded in a channel beneath the surface of a housing which can be utilized by one individual and is capable of reproducing a racing type situation whereing the individual must compete to manipulate one object in view of the motion of the second object.